DAVID CAMERON promised to listen to the concerns of ­voters switching to Ukip last night after the Tories slumped to third place in a by-election drubbing.

Nigel Farage said he was delighted his party appeared to be making progress [PA]

Obviously, one would prefer to come second rather than third, but I don’t think that this is a particularly surprising result

David Cameron

The Prime Minister dismissed the runner-up spot for the anti-Brussels party in the Wythenshawe and Sale East poll as a “protest” vote but accepted that ministers needed to heed the signal.

Labour comfortably held the Greater Manchester seat in Thursday’s by-election – called after the death at 60 of sitting MP Paul Goggins.

Former councillor Mike Kane became the new MP with 13,261 votes, equivalent to 55 per cent of votes cast.

But Ukip surged from fifth place at the 2010 General Election to second with an 18 per cent share of the vote.

It was the sixth time Ukip has beaten the Tories in a by-election since the Coalition came to power and fuelled expectations that Nigel Farage’s party will make significant gains at the European elections in May.

But Mr Cameron claimed the result did not add up to a “breakthrough” for Ukip.

He said: “Obviously, the Wythenshawe by-election was in a very safe Labour seat and there was never much doubt about the result.

“When people know that there is a by-election they know that the Government isn’t going to change, but obviously messages are sent and signals are sent and protests are made.

David Cameron said he was not all that surprised by the result [PA]

"Obviously, one would prefer to come second rather than third, but I don’t think that this is a particularly surprising result.

“I don’t think it was the sort of breakthrough that people were talking about.”

Mr Farage said the 4,301 votes for his candidate John Bickley showed that the party was making “really good, solid, steady progress”.

He said: “In the north of England we are shaping up to be the only opposition to Labour.”